The Economic Opportunities Program advances strategies, policies, and ideas to help low- and moderate-income people thrive in a changing economy.

We recognize that race, gender, and place intersect with and intensify the challenge of economic inequality and we address these dynamics by advancing an inclusive vision of economic justice. For over 25 years, EOP has focused on expanding individuals’ opportunities to connect to quality work, start businesses, and build economic stability that provides the freedom to pursue opportunity.

We collaborate with national and local leaders across the United States – nonprofit leaders, policymakers, labor leaders, business leaders, educators, academics, and more – and we actively seek input and ideas from individuals and communities affected by proposed approaches to address economic opportunity challenges. Through our leadership and fellowship programs; applied research and evaluation; data and analysis; and dialogue with diverse stakeholders, we work at both local and national levels to build understanding and galvanize action to address the challenge of economic opportunity in America.

Join our mailing list and follow us on social media for regular updates on our work.

Smiling warehouse worker holding a clipboard near a stack of boxes
Blog Posts

Workforce Development Leaders Tackle Job Quality

By uniting the needs of workers and businesses, workforce development leaders play a significant role in promoting good and better jobs.

Mardia Shands, Job Quality Fellow
Blog Posts Longform

Mardia Shands, Job Quality Fellow

Quality jobs are a competitive advantage. Mardia Shands helps businesses understand the return they get from investing in their workers.

Caryn York, Job Quality Fellow
Blog Posts Longform

Caryn York, Job Quality Fellow

Maryland residents face huge economic and racial disparities. Caryn York is confronting these inequities through service and advocacy.

Mandy Townsend, Job Quality Fellow
Blog Posts Longform

Mandy Townsend, Job Quality Fellow

Mandy Townsend partners with businesses to develop training programs, create career ladders, and assess job quality to attract and retain workers.

Rebecca Kusner, Job Quality Fellow
Blog Posts Longform

Rebecca Kusner, Job Quality Fellow

Rebecca Kusner partners with local stakeholders to elevate the importance of quality jobs in workforce conversations.

Smiling woman in graduation cap and gown. Photo by Chichi Onyekanne on Unsplash.
Blog Posts

Three Things I Learned About Upskilling while at Discover Financial Services

By investing in education, Discover became a destination for advancement. Now hundreds of employees have started earning their degrees.

Young woman speaking with colleague at conference table
Blog Posts

Energy Driving the Future of Work for Young People: Tools to Guide Learning from Employers and Workers

The future of work is upon us. Are our education and workforce systems prepared?

Karla Bruce and Harold Pettigrew speak at "Building a Democratic Economy: How Do We Create Prosperity for All?" (November 13, 2019)
Blog Posts

Economic Opportunities Program Newsletter, November 2019

Learn how we’re helping low- and moderate-income people thrive in a changing economy.

African American woman scanning boxes in a warehouse
Blog Posts

Job Quality in Practice: A New Effort to Support Leaders Across Fields to Advance Job Quality

Work is at the core of the American Dream. We need a range of actors working together to improve job quality.

UpSkill America Annual Employer Survey 2019
Blog Posts

UpSkill America Annual Employer Survey 2019

Who’s In, Who’s Out: Opportunity in America
Blog Posts

Who’s In, Who’s Out: Opportunity in America

The Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program launched its conversation series, Opportunity in America, which examines economic opportunity in the US and implications for individuals, families, and communities across the country.

Child care services in British Columbia (used under Creative Commons license)
Blog Posts

Free College Is Good, but Free Day Care Is Better

Despite the universal need for childcare, we invest little in providing quality, affordable care.

About the Economic Opportunities Program

The Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program advances strategies, policies, and ideas to help low- and moderate-income people thrive in a changing economy.

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More from the Economic Opportunities Program

Foundational Skills: National Survey Findings
Publications

Foundational Skills: National Survey Findings

This publication examines how fragmented skills, credentialing, and workforce data systems limit the potential of skills-based hiring and advancement, and outlines a shared vision for building the interoperable infrastructure needed to create a connected skills ecosystem that benefits workers, employers, educators, and governments.

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Podcasts Videos

What Employee Ownership Means to Workers

This conversation is part of our Opportunity in America series, where we take a look at the economy, what’s working, what’s broken, and really how we fix it to make sure that everyone can succeed in today’s economy.

Resource Roundup: Wages and Affordability
Blog Posts
Room for Growth: A Survey of Upskilling Approaches — 2026 Analysis
Publications

Room for Growth: A Survey of Upskilling Approaches — 2026 Analysis

This publication examines how fragmented skills, credentialing, and workforce data systems limit the potential of skills-based hiring and advancement, and outlines a shared vision for building the interoperable infrastructure needed to create a connected skills ecosystem that benefits workers, employers, educators, and governments.

Building Economic Security: A Book Talk with Arindrajit Dube and Carrie Joy Grimes
Podcasts Videos

Building Economic Security: A Book Talk with Arindrajit Dube and Carrie Joy Grimes

Economic security shouldn’t be a lottery. Yet for millions of working families, stagnant wages and precarious jobs collide with the daily grind of managing money on shaky ground — leaving stability feeling less like a plan and more like a gamble. Fixing that takes more than one lever. It takes structural reform and the tools people need to take control of their financial lives, working together.

What Employee Ownership Means to Workers
Publications

What Employee Ownership Means to Workers

Insights from Focus Groups with Employee Owners